She fumbled for her keys. A ginger Kombucha and strange shaped organic fruit fell from her purse. She bent down to pick it up, disheveled, whispering quiet profanities in her hurry.
Through the peephole he watched, body pressed hard against the thick door dividing his hallway from hers.
He knew her well, in body. He knew her movements, her gestures, her laugh. It was as if he had always known her, she had always been there in his brain, though he had just met her that summer. But, he knew nothing of her, except what he felt and concluded in their brief encounters.
He hated her automatically, with a fierce generality that she was of the breed that could break him, would break him….if he ever allowed her the power, if he ever allowed her close, if he ever allowed himself vulnerability.
She was of the kind that broke hearts. He knew this by her long blonde wavy hair, the twinkle in her blue eyes, her feminine gestures, her pretentious glide— her girlish laugh.
She was woman.
He had kept far, as far as he could. He let her know how much he despised her, how terrible he thought she was. It was his only defense. He had to defeat her, to see her suffer, to watch her in pain, so that his heart would keep safe, so that his brain could stay sane.
And in his controlled, boring, yawn-worthy saneness…… he died.
“So come with me, where dreams are born, and time is never planned. Just think of happy things, and your heart will fly on wings, forever, in Never Never Land!” ― J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan: Fairy Tales
Tagged: being vulnerable, dreaming, happiness, honesty, J.M. Barrie, Journaling, keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart, neighbors, Never Never Land, peter pan, Peter Pan: Fairy Tales, Poetry, quotes, smile, sorry I'm not sorry, surrender, the boy across the hall, the girl across the hall, the girl next door, what to do if you are heartbroken, who is John Galt, writers world
Coco J. Ginger Says 
I like this… thanks
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Quite humorous Ms. Ginger. Don’t know if you intended it to be, but I couldn’t help but laugh on several occasions whilst reading this. Witty, funny, intelligent, yet never without meaning or purpose. 😀
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I liked this a lot.
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Well written! I could almost feel his tension. There really are woman like that out there you know. The heart breaking sort…. 🙂
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Wow. Like it. Didn’t see the ending coming!
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I love this so much.
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Great!
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I love Peter Pan! This made my day. Sad ending though.
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It was an unfortunate death.
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But in “Hook,” Peter Pan says, “Death is but the next great adventure.”
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Hi, Coco! I just want to say that I found this short story intriguing. My immediate reaction, I admit, was to become a bit irritated by it. But then, perhaps I saw a bit of myself in this story. I would have loved to tell myself, “No, I’m not like this”, but I think I am, in a way.
At twenty-three years old, I’m no longer very young. But neither am I very old, or wise, or long lived. The fact that there is still so much growth to be had is both immensely inspiring and invigorating, and massively intimidating.
The man in this story isn’t just a single character. He’s a representative for all young males who were unsuccessful with girls in their early years. He’s a figure that symbols Man in General, and the fear of intimacy.
The Girl, however. I wonder how she perceives him? Chuckle. Thank you for having such a cool blog, Coco. You’re awesome.
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WOW you have a LOT of insight. What a great perspective. Thanks for sharing it with me. You can read how the girl perceives him right here:
Have a pretty day! 😉
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[…] 5. COCO J. GINGER […]
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This…is…awesome!!! I like how the guy’s emotinal history is all out there in the open lol. Pretty accurate portrayal.
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Your writing is a breath of fresh air. Very different and interesting. Thank you for sharing and for stopping by my blog.
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Well written!
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